Manitoba Government News Release–The Manitoba government is introducing legislation that would exempt the publication of two-spirit, transgender, non-binary and gender-diverse individuals’ legal name change in the Manitoba Gazette, Consumer Protection and Government Services Minister Lisa Naylor announced today.
“Our government continues to support the rights of gender-diverse individuals and will advocate for the right of self-expression and identification for all Manitobans,” said Naylor. “Having your previous name be published after a legal name change can cause unnecessary harm to members of our 2SLGBTQ+ community and could even lead to further discrimination or harassment.”
Currently, once a legal name change has been approved by the Vital Statistics Branch, the individual’s new name, former name and city or town of residence are published in the Manitoba Gazette. The current process does have an option for an individual to request a publication waiver but it is an unnecessary barrier for those individuals, noted Naylor. Bill 33, the change of name amendment act, would change that.
The amendment would also update requirements for using gender-neutral language throughout the Change of Name Act, the minister noted.